Kiss the Talisman Paperback - 2017

Howard T. Moss was born and raised in Richmond, Va.; attended Thomas Jefferson High School and graduated from the Virginia Military Institute in 1960. After graduation, he was employed at John Marshall High School as Commandant of Cadets, Head Track Coach, Asst. Football Coach, and he taught senior class history. He entered the United States Air Force a year later and was assigned to Air Force Systems Command, Vibration and Impact Branch, where he was the first human to test an instantaneous 20 G-force under controlled conditions in support of the Gemini Space Program. After flight school, he was sent to Southeast Asia for his first combat tour. On his second tour, he was selected as Chief of the Tiger, Fast Forward Air Controller Program (Tiger FAC) at Korat RTAFB, Thailand. He ended his combat with 341 combat missions and 841 combat hours over North and South Vietnam and Laos. After Command and Staff College and a tour at Headquarters, Tactical Air Command, he was assigned to RAF Bentwaters, U.K., as Commander of the 510th Tactical Fighter (A-10) Squadron. In 1981, after the Arab/Israeli War, Col. Moss was selected to lead a team to Israel and de-brief the Arab/Israeli conflict. After a tour at the Pentagon, he retired as a Colonel ending 23 years of active military service. He was awarded 4 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 24 Air Medals, the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry and various other citations. He became employed by The General Electric Company to build and supervise The Center for Advanced Airmanship, an F-5 fighter-training facility in Phoenix, AZ. It was the first time that the U.S. Air Force contracted a civilian company to perform fighter training services. He ended his career with NavCom Defense Electronics, Inc. and still consults with them. Howard and his wife, Susan, with their dog, Paces, are retired and live on the James River in Surry County, Virginia.